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Basis of Presentation | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2017
Basis of Presentation [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation | Note 1 Basis of Presentation United States Cellular Corporation (U.S. Cellular), a Delaware corporation, is an 83%-owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS). The accounting policies of U.S. Cellular conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of U.S. Cellular, subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest, general partnerships in which U.S. Cellular has a majority partnership interest and certain entities in which U.S. Cellular has a variable interest that require consolidation under GAAP. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by U.S. Cellular pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, U.S. Cellular believes that the disclosures included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. Certain numbers included herein are rounded to millions for ease of presentation; however, calculated amounts and percentages are determined using the unrounded numbers. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in U.S. Cellular’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2016. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring items, unless otherwise disclosed) necessary for the fair statement of U.S. Cellular’s financial position as of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, its results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, and its cash flows and changes in equity for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016. The Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income was not included because comprehensive income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, equaled net income. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. U.S. Cellular has not changed its significant accounting and reporting policies from those disclosed in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, except as described below. Equipment Installment Plans U.S. Cellular equipment revenue under equipment installment plan contracts is recognized at the time the device is delivered to the end-user customer for the selling price of the device, net of any deferred imputed interest or trade-in right, if applicable. Imputed interest is reflected as a reduction to the receivable balance and recognized over the duration of the plan as Service revenues. See Note 3 — Equipment Installment Plans. Effective January 1, 2017, U.S. Cellular elected to change the classification of interest income on equipment installment plan contracts from Interest and dividend income to Service revenues in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. U.S. Cellular believes this classification is preferable because financing of devices as part of enrolling customers for service is an activity that is central to U.S. Cellular’s operations, and it is consistent with the presentation by others in the industry. Comparative financial statements of prior years have been adjusted to apply the new classification retrospectively. As a result of this change in classification, Service revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, increased by $12 million and $24 million, respectively, from previously reported amounts, with a corresponding decrease in Interest and dividend income. In comparison, Service revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, include $17 million and $33 million, respectively, of equipment installment plan interest income. This change did not have an impact on Income before income taxes, Net income, or Earnings per share for the three or six months ended June 30, 2016, nor did it have a cumulative impact to Retained earnings as of any date presented. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09) and has since amended the standard with Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, Accounting Standards Update 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), Accounting Standards Update 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, Accounting Standards Update 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, and Accounting Standards Update 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. These standards replace existing revenue recognition rules with a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2014-09, as amended, on January 1, 2018. Early adoption as of January 1, 2017, is permitted; however, U.S. Cellular did not adopt early. ASU 2014-09, as amended, impacts U.S. Cellular’s revenue recognition related to the allocation of contract revenues between various services and equipment, and the timing of when those revenues are recognized. In addition, ASU 2014-09 requires deferral of incremental contract acquisition and fulfillment costs and subsequent expense recognition over the contract period or expected customer life. U.S. Cellular has identified that new systems, processes and controls are required to adopt ASU 2014-09, as amended. U.S. Cellular has substantially completed the design and development of new systems to perform revenue recognition accounting under the provisions of ASU 2014-09, as amended, and is currently engaged in the process of testing these new systems. U.S. Cellular expects to transition to the new standard under the modified retrospective transition method whereby a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings is recognized upon adoption and the guidance is applied prospectively. Upon adoption, the cumulative effect adjustment is expected to include the establishment of contract asset and contract liability accounts with a corresponding adjustment to retained earnings to reflect the reallocation of revenues between service and equipment performance obligations for which control is transferred to customers in different periods. Reallocation impacts generally arise when bundle discounts are provided in a contract arrangement that includes equipment and service performance obligations. In these cases, the revenue will be reallocated according to the relative stand-alone selling prices of the performance obligations included in the bundle and this may be different than how the revenue is billed to the customer and recognized under current guidance. In addition, contract cost assets will be established to reflect costs that will be deferred as incremental contract acquisition costs. Incremental contract acquisition costs generally relate to commissions paid to sales associates. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2014-09, as amended, will have on its financial position and results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-02, Leases (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to record a right-of-use asset and lease liability for almost all leases. This ASU does not substantially impact the lessor accounting model. However, some changes to the lessor accounting guidance were made to align with lessee accounting changes within Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842, Leases and certain key aspects of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, U.S. Cellular expects a substantial increase to assets and liabilities on its balance sheet. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its results of operations. In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13). ASU 2016-13 requires entities to use a new forward-looking, expected loss model to estimate credit losses. It also requires additional disclosure relating to the credit quality of trade and other receivables, including information relating to management’s estimate of credit allowances. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020. Early adoption as of January 1, 2019 is permitted. U.S. Cellular is evaluating the effects that adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have on its financial position, results of operations and disclosures. In December 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-19 Technical Corrections and Improvements (ASU 2016-19). ASU 2016-19 includes an amendment to Accounting Standards Codification Subtopic 350-40, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software, which clarifies that a software license within the scope of the Subtopic will be accounted for as the acquisition of an intangible asset and the incurrence of a liability to the extent that the license fees are not fully paid at acquisition. U.S. Cellular adopted this standard prospectively for all arrangements entered into or materially modified after January 1, 2017. In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (ASU 2017-04). ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test. Goodwill impairment loss will be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-04 on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. U.S. Cellular is assessing whether it will early adopt ASU 2017-04. In February 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-05, Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets: Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets (ASU 2017-05). ASU 2017-05 clarifies how entities account for the derecognition of a nonfinancial asset and adds guidance for partial sales of nonfinancial assets. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-05 on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-05 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations. In May 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (ASU 2017-09). ASU 2017-09 clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards must be accounted for as modifications. U.S. Cellular is required to adopt ASU 2017-09 on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-09 is not expected to have a significant impact on U.S. Cellular’s financial position or results of operations. Amounts Collected from Customers and Remitted to Governmental Authorities U.S. Cellular records amounts collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities on a net basis within a tax liability account if the tax is assessed upon the customer and U.S. Cellular merely acts as an agent in collecting the tax on behalf of the imposing governmental authority. If the tax is assessed upon U.S. Cellular, then amounts collected from customers as recovery of the tax are recorded in Service revenues and amounts remitted to governmental authorities are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The amounts recorded gross in revenues that are billed to customers and remitted to governmental authorities totaled $14 million and $28 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, and $16 million and $34 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively.

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